Day 747: Chopper Storm

Why’re you still here, I already told you to go buy the game. It only costs 80 Microsoft Points. You’ve been told it’s awesome. What more do you want?

OK, fine. I’ll tell you *why* it’s awesome, if you’re going to be like that. “Chopper Storm” does several interesting things. It has huge maps and enemies that can come at you from all sides, and that paired with the helicopter theme gives it a bit of a “Strike” feel for those who remember EA’s classic Desert Strike, Jungle Strike, etc. Yet it’s clearly not a clone of that, as the mechanics are more like a dual-stick shooter. And yet, there’s still more meat on the bones: pre-mission loadouts for one, with you tweaking your copter before launching, which adds a strategic element. Then there’s your ability to return to the carrier for repairs and resupply, which adds an tactical element to the game. It’s not a remake of Carrier Command, but I’ll take it.

There’s even an “Area 88” element to this, with you earning cash for killing enemies and having to spend it between battles on repairs, reloads, and even upgraded helicopters. It’s the seamless blending of themes and play mechanics from so many diverse influences that is done so well here, in my opinion.

Exploring the big maps, tasking risks to see how far you can push yourself before returning to your carrier, and shooting and being shot at is all great (if challenging) fun in this game, but it has one more trick up its sleeve: offline multiplayer co-op for up to 4 players. Yep, it’s not very hard to get 80 Microsoft Points out of this game. Not at all.

“Introducing Chopper Storm, the first release from Iridescent Games! This dual-joystick allows you to fight with – or against – up to four local players at a time. The game features 4 distinct modes, 6 helicopters to choose from, and 18 weapons to buy and sell to customize your fleet. Earn all 22 medals to prove yourself as the ultimate pilot.”